Belinda Bencic has again played her way up to 40th place in the WTA World Ranking this season. At the WTA tournament in Linz, the Swiss player chatted briefly with tennisnet.
tennisnet: Mrs. Bencic. They played the doubles in Linz with Barbara Haas and lost there in the second round against Kirsten Flipkens and Johanna Larsson, two acknowledged good doubles players. How did you get into this match?
Belinda Bencic: Babsi and I both don’t play so much doubles, we focus more on auf´s singles. We still did a great job. Last year we didn’t win a match here, one this year, but in the end the experience of our opponents was the deciding factor.
tennisnet: She has had a long friendship with Barbara Haas …
Bencic: We’ve already played U14 together, for example in Kufstein, many junior tournaments, we’ve known each other for a long time.
tennisnet: The youth tournament in Kufstein is known far beyond the Austrian borders. Why?
Bencic: It’s mega important because you can win some skis (laughs). That was my greatest motivation. I still have these at home. I just find it incredibly important to play international tournaments because you can play against children from other countries. And in Kufstein, for example, it’s super organized. I have taken the levels from the U12 step by step, and have always enjoyed the trips very much.
tennisnet: Has this changed over the years? Was travelling more exciting for a 15-year-old than it is now?
Bencic: I went to school back then, so I only played one tournament a month. So not every week, that’s impossible with 14 or 15 years. But I still enjoy travelling a lot, even if it’s exhausting because the season is incredibly long. In the beginning the factor curiosity still plays a role – and you just think it’s great that you’re playing tennis all the time. Later in your career you have to organize a few days off so that you can live a little. That’s difficult when you’re not at home, but you have to try it in other countries as well.
tennisnet: You started the year with the Hopman Cup, won there with Roger Federer. What is your seasonal balance so far?
Bencic: I am very well, I am very happy. Last year I stood here at 350, this year I am number 40. I think it has definitely gone forward. People’s expectations are high – but I myself also have high expectations of myself.
tennisnet: How are your health?
Bencic: That is the most important thing: now I am healthy. I had another little injury in March. I’m just trying to move forward step by step. I can’t say I want to be in the top ten right now. That would be unfair, because the other players also play very well. So it’s not that simple.
tennisnet: Back to the Hopman Cup, where you will compete again with Roger Federer in early 2019. What is the relationship to the best player ever?
Bencic: Of course I have a lot of respect. Now I have become a little more relaxed in his presence, but in the beginning it was more: “Oh, my God! But now I think it’s great that Roger really talks to me a lot. And I can learn something from everything he says or does. How Roger plays, how he travels, how he warms up, all this gives me so much experience. The whole Hopman Cup is not only great from a tennis point of view, but also a great experience for me to develop with.
tennisnet: At the beginning of your career you were advised by Martina Hingis and her mother, Melanie Molitor. Is there still intense contact?
Bencic: That has more or less dissolved. Martina is still a Fed Cup coach, and I’ll see you there of course. But not so much else.
tennisnet: Speaking of which, do you have the impression that the ITF has forgotten a bit about the Fed Cup in all the reform efforts regarding the Davis Cup?
Bencic: No, not really. We players were also asked, and there is a pro and contra everywhere. Sure it’s great to have a home game. And on the other hand, it’s also really exhausting to fly to Australia in the middle of the season and play on grass there.
tennisnet: How will you end this season?
Bencic: I played a lot of ITF tournaments a year ago – and now I have a lot of points to lose. After things didn’t go so well for me in the USA and Asia, I decided to play three 80s in the USA after Luxembourg, then a 125 in Houston and then a break. And then I’ll go home and prepare for next year.